Tom Chilton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom Chilton |
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Chilton at the 2014 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium
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| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 15 March 1985 Reigate, Surrey, England |
| Related to | Max Chilton (brother) |
| BTCC career | |
| Debut season | 2002 |
| Current team | Team Bristol Street Motors |
| Car no. | 3 |
| Former teams | Ciceley Motorsport BTC Racing Team Shredded Wheat Racing Power Maxed Racing Arena Motorsport Team Halfords VX Racing Barwell Motorsport |
| Starts | 503 (508 entries) |
| Wins | 16 |
| Podiums | 63 |
| Poles | 10 |
| Fastest laps | 12 |
| Best finish | 3rd in 2018 |
| Previous series | |
| 2012–2017 2005, 2007 2005, 2007 2000–01 |
WTCC ALMS Le Mans Series T Cars |
| Championship titles | |
| 2017 2010 |
WTCC Independents' Trophy BTCC Independents' Trophy |
Thomas James Chilton (born 15 March 1985) is a British racing driver. He currently races for Team Bristol Street Motors in the British Touring Car Championship. Tom has spent most of his career competing in touring car racing. His younger brother, Max, is also a racing driver.
Tom Chilton's Racing Journey
Growing Up and Starting to Race
Tom Chilton was born in Reigate, England. He went to Reigate St Mary's School and Shiplake College. From a young age, Tom loved racing. He competed in the BRSCC T Cars Championship in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, he won the BRSCC Saloon Car winter championship. His brother, Max, also became a racing driver.
British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)
Early Years with Barwell and Arena (2002–2005)
Tom joined the BTCC in 2002 with Barwell Motorsport. He drove a Vauxhall Astra Coupé. Even though he was new, he was very fast. He finished 15th overall and 5th in the Independents' Cup.
In 2003, Tom raced a works Honda Civic Type-R for Arena Motorsport. He finished 9th overall. Honda stopped supporting the team in 2004. But Tom's car was still great. He won his first BTCC race at Silverstone. This made him the youngest winner of a BTCC race. He won again at Donington.
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In 2005, Tom also raced in endurance series like the ALMS and LMS. He won races in both series. He finished 5th in the 2005 British Touring Car Championship. This was impressive because he only raced in 24 out of 30 races.
Racing with VX Racing and Team Halfords (2006–2008)
VX Racing signed Tom for 2006. He drove a Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch. It was a tough year for Vauxhall, and Tom didn't win any races. He finished 7th overall. Vauxhall kept him for 2007, but he finished 9th. Tom decided to leave VX Racing in 2008.
He then joined Team Halfords for the 2008 BTCC season. In the last race of the year, Tom won at Brands Hatch. This was his first win since 2005. He finished 10th in the championship.
Team Aon and Later BTCC Returns (2009–Present)
In 2009, Tom returned to Arena Motorsport, now called Team Aon. He drove a Ford Focus ST. He spent most of the year helping to improve the car. He finished 13th in the standings.
In 2010, the car was much better. Tom took four pole positions. At Silverstone, he won both races. He also won the Independents' Trophy, which is a special award for drivers not supported by a big car manufacturer.
For 2011, Team Aon developed a new Ford Focus. Tom got pole position at Knockhill and won the first race there. He also won the final race of the season at Silverstone. He finished 7th in the championship.
After five years away, Tom came back to the BTCC in 2017. He drove a Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra. He finished third in a race at Brands Hatch.
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In 2018, Tom joined Team Shredded Wheat Racing. He won a race at Knockhill, his first win since 2011. He finished 3rd overall in the championship that year. He continued with the team in 2019, winning another race at Croft.
In 2020, Tom joined BTC Racing. He finished 2nd in a race at Thruxton. He ended the season 10th in the Driver's Championship. In 2021, he moved to Ciceley Motorsport. Since 2022, he has been racing for Team Bristol Street Motors. In 2023, he won a race at Donington Park.
World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)
Racing Across the Globe (2012–2017)
Tom made his debut in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2012. He drove for Arena Motorsport, also known as Team Aon. He scored points in his first race in Morocco. He finished 19th in the drivers' standings. After this season, Team Aon stopped their WTCC program.
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In 2013, Tom joined RML. He drove a Chevrolet Cruze. He finished second in the first race of the season in Italy. He then got his first WTCC pole position and win at the Race of the United States. He won another race in China. He finished 5th overall that year.
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Tom continued in the WTCC with ROAL Motorsport in 2014. He drove a new Chevrolet Cruze. He won a race in Beijing, becoming the only non-Citroen driver to win a first race that year. He finished 8th in the championship. He stayed with ROAL Motorsport in 2015.
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In 2016, Tom raced a Citroën for Sébastien Loeb Racing. He won a race in Argentina and got six podium finishes. He finished 2nd in the Independents' standings.
Tom continued with Sébastien Loeb Racing in 2017. He had a great season, winning three races at Monza, Motegi, and Losail. When he won at Losail, he also won the Independents' title! Overall, he finished 3rd in the championship, which was a fantastic result. This was the last year the series was called the "World Championship" before it changed to the World Touring Car Cup.
TV Appearances
Tom Chilton has appeared on the popular TV show Top Gear five times. He took part in races involving unusual vehicles like people carriers, a Toyota Aygo football match, and even a Chevrolet motorhome. He also raced a Leyland Olympian bus and a taxi cab against the show's presenters.
In 2009, he was in a music video for singer-songwriter Andy J Gallagher. Tom also appeared as a single man on the ITV game show Take Me Out.
Images for kids
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Chilton at the 2014 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium
See also
In Spanish: Tom Chilton para niños
